#but also we only get two characters who are not noble but they only either get dogs abuse from or are ignored by the fandom

[ladyalicentshightower]

"Team Black is better than Team Green because Luke's funeral is private while Team Green hold a public funeral for propaganda purposes!"

Kingslanding is the biggest city in Westeros and is densely populated, and while Dragonstone is also densely populated, it's infinitely smaller. If Team Black were in Kingslanding instead of Dragonstone, they would never have been able to have a private funeral because the small folk would want to attend too. Furthermore, as an island, Dragonstone is isolated as few would travel for a funeral in a time of war. Kingslanding even during war, has Westeros' highest population density. Aemma and Baelon also had a public funeral in season 1.

In the books (hopefully in the show too), Haelena is remembered as being beloved by the small folk. Jaehaerys, as her son, was loved by and is mourned by them too. Even if they wanted to - and likely they did want to - have a private funeral, they wouldn't have been able to due to public reaction and outcry.

[thepersonperson]

I can't believe it's genuinely canon that Geto was jealous of Sukuna being the one to fill up Gojo.

I know Gojo reassured him but we saw he thought of Toji as the last person who satisfied him. No wonder Geto ended up on a crusade against no cursed energy monkeys.

Geto's insecurity with his place in Gojo's life really was his downfall. (On top of not having access to Karl Marx.) He kind of just assumed that Gojo being in a league of his own after awakening meant they could never be together as The Strongest duo.

That insecurity was so pervasive he initiated their break up by objectifying Gojo for his strength. And he later assumed Gojo stopped loving him too.

But you might be onto something with Geto's jealousy starting with Toji. Though he didn't see Gojo awaken (which was essentially "la petite mort" or the little death), Geto was around to hear Gojo call Toji アンタ (Anta). And that particular usage of Anta was really weird.

(Yeah this is one of those asks that poked my neuroses in just the right way.)

-Content Warning: Brief discussion of teenage sexuality.

-Mangareader(.)to for the raws.

-TCBscans for everything but Vol 0.

(Click images for captions/citations.)

Gojo's You Pronouns

I kind of lost my mind over Sukuna's you pronoun usage if you want to know why this kind of thing matters to me. Thankfully, Gojo's you pronoun usage is much more straightforward. Which is why the use of Anta for Toji sticks out a lot.

Gojo usually uses オマエ (Omae—masculine, informal, between peers or to look down on the addressee) for absolutely everyone. Friends, enemies? Doesn't matter, he's using Omae. It's either that, 君 (Kimi—affectionate towards juniors) with his students, or he avoids using you pronouns to be polite. He has only deviated from this pattern with two people—Uraume with てまえ (Temee—hostile and offensive), and Anta with Toji.

Anta is a contraction of あなた (Anata) and both are used in the exact same way. It's an informal you mostly used by people learning Japanese since normal use suggests a familiar and casual relationship with the addressee. That can be rude depending on the context. In the context of love, it's a romantic thing, colloquially called the wife pronoun as its often used by a wife to her husband. The only real difference between Anta and Anata is the indication of class. As a contraction, Anta is seen as more low class/uneducated than Anata.

So what did Gojo mean by his use of Anta with Toji?

Since Anta can indicate the speaker is casual/friendly, uneducated, or flirting, we'll have to infer what Gojo meant with context. Sometimes, it's easier to look at how other characters use this pronoun to get an idea.

For example, Hanami uses Anata for everyone which is why there's nothing flirtatious about them using it. This is just how they talk in general and they aren't singling anyone out in a special way.

A male character who uses Anta for most people in the way Hanami uses Anata is Ike from Fire Emblem. (I'm so sorry this is the only guy I can think of using this as a default you pronoun and he's from a completely different series.)

Ike uses Ore (masculine, informal) as his personal pronoun and he was raised as a mercenary with no formal education, so the Anta in context is more of him being from the lower class and casual. Anta is also less masculine than Omae, so this is also gives Ike that soft edge to his roughness that everyone loves him for. When he uses Anta while speaking to nobles in Path of Radiance Ch 14, they find it extremely offensive and get pissed because they perceive it as him not showing enough respect. (And he does call them out for being dickholes using Anta which makes them even angrier.)

If I recall correctly, (sorry I only really remember Zelgius and Sephiran's pronouns because it subtly confirms them a queer couple), Ike uses Omae (or Temee? The fudging accessible JP transcript went poof.) for the Black Knight and no one else. The Black Knight killed his father and Ike hates him for this. This Omae is not friendly, it's hostile.

I use this example because it shows how for one character these pronouns mean one thing and other characters it the polar opposite. Gojo uses Omae to be friendly, Ike uses Omae to be hostile. Ike uses Anta to be friendly, Gojo uses Anta to...

I don't know.

I don't know why Gojo uses Anta for Toji. It's really fudging odd and he never uses it again or for anyone else. Gojo for Toji uses Anta then Omae then Anta.

First it's confusion over being stabbed. I think in this context it means more of "hey there, buddy" in the way someone might try to talk down an aggressive person by trying to be chummy.

At the time, it probably told Geto something was really wrong because Gojo never uses that pronoun.

The Omae he swaps to is normal Gojo usage. He explains how Toji screwed up with killing him in the way he's been talking at all the assassins that came after Riko.

But internally? Toji remains Anta. This is weird since Gojo usually just sticks to Omae or some kind of nomer when he doesn't know people's names.

Leading up to this internal monologue, Gojo is not angry. He's extremely zen. So much so that he apologizes to Riko for not being upset she was just murdered. This makes me think the Anta isn’t meant to be disparaging.

Anta has always been less harsh than Omae in comparison. It can imply a distance between the speaker and addressee or it can suggest they're very close.

I can't tell if Gojo is trying to express a unique kinship he feels with Toji or if he's putting Toji on a pedestal of strength he idolizes and considers himself separate from. Perhaps it's both and this confusion is intentional. Gojo is a teenager figuring himself out in the most traumatic way possible here. My point is that this use of Anta indicates Gojo feels some kind of way about Toji he doesn't for anyone else.

Toji is very special to Gojo.

Most people are aware of Gojo picking up certain habits and speech patterns because Geto. Rereading JJK after learning about Gojo's history with Geto turns a lot of his silly quirks into things that are really depressing.

Toji is second to Geto in terms of influencing adult Gojo's behavior I think. Not just in the paranoia he experiences of being made vulnerable again, but some of his speaking mannerisms. Gojo asking for last words before he kills someone started with Toji.

He has that same empty look when he does it each time too. This doesn't seem to be like him mourning Toji in the way he mourns Geto by speaking in the way his beloved suggested. It's like he's reliving trauma. And dear lord did Toji traumatize Gojo. The kind of terror in the faces teenage Gojo makes while being hunted and killed are never made again.

But despite this, Gojo as an adult seems to look back on this awful experience fondly sometimes. When Sukuna starts to make him think he's about to lose, Gojo smiles as he recalls this feeling.

Satisfaction? Being killed by this guy was satisfying? I suppose it makes sense, this temporary death did awaken him to immense power that made him feel amazing. In that sense, Toji was Gojo's greatest teacher. And as a teacher, Gojo molds a philosophy from that experience and tries to imbue it on his students in a less traumatic fashion. (I say tries because this still killed Yuji by accident and caused a lot of unneeded stress for the second years in Vol 0.)

As you can see here, Gojo thinks this way because he did die alone despite having strong allies. And because his death made him stronger, he thinks growth can be triggered in a similar fashion. Geto calls him out on how fudged up this “tough love” is.

Gray morally aside, these beliefs and actions are because of Toji. A lot of what Gojo is as an adult is one giant unhealthy coping mechanism for Toji, fondness included.

When Nanami calls Gojo a Jujutsu Pervert he isn't wrong. Gojo is a freak that gets off to fighting in part due to Toji. It's like this horrible little ball of fear, denial, and horny with him. Thinking about Toji being the last person who satisfied him in that way over Geto isn't out of character. The types of blissed out faces he made during that fight do pop up in the Sukuna fight.

We also have to acknowledge that Toji is at the got dang afterlife airport with everyone else. For some reason, despite all the pain he inflicted, Gojo admires him on a similar level to the people who didn't want him dead.

Toji is a lot of Gojo's firsts. His first fear, his first death, his first awakening, and most importantly his first exposure to revolution. Toji is the first person Gojo met that escaped the bindings of Jujutsu Society and obtained freedom. He defied the Zenins and started a life outside of them. His pride and grief brought him back, but for a few years he was the impossible success story.

Though Geto heavily influenced Gojo’s morality, Toji was the basis for Gojo’s revolutionary ideas. It shows in how he trains his students and values the strength of non-sorcerers. He correctly identifies that Toji only wound up this way because of Jujutsu Society, mainly the higher ups, and vows to do something about it.

Is this to prevent another Toji because of fear? Is this how Gojo honors his memory too? Both, probably. Toji basically asked Gojo to be the godfather to Megumi, his son named Blessing, and prevent him from being raised a Zenin. In other words, he gave Gojo his blessing to do better than him and break that awful generational cycle. Gojo has taken that very seriously.

Megumi knows next to nothing about the Zenins until he's made the head after Naobito dies and Maki massacres them. The fact that Megumi being made the head ultimately triggered Maki's massacre of the Zenin Clan is like Toji getting exactly what he wanted from beyond the grave. A mini revolution made possible with Gojo laying the groundwork by providing a space where Maki can exist without hate.

Geto's Jealousy

As Geto was spiralling, he probably thought back on Gojo’s use of Anta with Toji and got a little jealous. After all, Toji was the reason Gojo grew so much as a sorcerer instead of him.

Can you imagine? The love of your life keeps telling you that together you're The Strongest and that's why he's with you. But he goes off with some dude after calling him something he's never called you and comes back a god. He grew more in those few minutes with this rando than the years he spent with you combined. Inadequate wouldn't even scratch the surface of that feeling.

It was always a one-sided admiration—Toji was a bum who leeched off women as you would expect any straight dude would coming from an immensely misogynistic household. He killed children for money and had beef with an 8 year old after looking at him once. But Geto still might've been envious that a non-sorcerer did more for Gojo’s growth than any sorcerer.

Geto’s Coping

The aftermath of Toji put a strain on their relationship in more ways than one. First and foremost, it made Gojo The Strongest. As I said earlier, this caused Geto to become insecure with his place in Gojo’s life. But what I didn’t mention is that the higher ups exploiting this newfound strength is why this never got addressed until it was way too late.

As shown here Geto’s condition gets worse because not only is he mentally isolated from Gojo, but physically as well. A horrible little detail—changes in weight can be very gradual. If you're with someone all the time, you'll likely never notice it. Gojo was kept separate from Geto for so long that this difference was noticeable.

They fall out of sync because Jujutsu Society has decided that their labor is more valuable apart. The problem here exploitation. Toji made it extremely clear to both Gojo and Geto that was the problem. Geto unfortunately came to the wrong conclusion on how to deal with it.

Tags from @nyan-bynary on this post sum up my feelings on this nicely.

#OK OK I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW GETO GOT RADICALIZED BASICALLY INTO FASCISM BC HE ENDED UP BLAMING THE WRONG CLASS FOR THEIR OPPRESSION #LIKE THIS IS SO VERY MUCH THE CASE WITH LIKE RANDO WHITE LIBERTARIANS AND SHIT IRL TOO LIKE THEY NOTICE SHIT SUCKS #BUT THEY END UP BLAMING THE EVEN MORE OPPRESSED PEOPLE INSTEAD OF TAKING THAT ANGER UPWARDS TOWARDS THE ACTUAL PPL DESTROYING EVERYTHING

#like geto saw a man who was so fucking abused and treated like shit by his clan that he basically ran away and started a new life #where he resents the people who were oppressing him but he still had to work for similar people to make ends meet #and in doing so was made a pawn for the internal power struggles of the higher ups #which hurt the other people lower in the hierarchy as well including gojo and geto #but instead of seeing the hand that guided everything here he blamed the toy in the hand instead #devoting himself to destroy every single toy which unknowingly included himself and the sorcerers he wanted to protect so badly as well

#like in his efforts to gather sorcerers he ended up doing a better more inclusive job of gathering sorceres from EVERYWHERE he could reach #he had the true potential to make real grassroot connections with fellow oppressed people but he was misguided on who the target should be #like it's ironic that the only black sorcerer that we see is in the group of the guy that calls non sorceres 'monkeys' #because it says something about him that his problem actually wasn't racism (against non-sorcerers) #it was the high risk terrible lifestyle forced upon every sorcerer in the name of non-sorcerers #WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU GUYS EXIST AND ARE BEING EXPLOITED LIKE THIS IN THEIR NAME IN THE FIRST PLACE MAYBE TRY TO FIX THAT AT SOME POINT???

#it's all so sad bc the moment he chose the wrong people to blame his fate was sealed and it sucks bc he could've done real good things #gojo was the closest to doing anything remotely revolutionary but he went the too peaceful route and it cost him everything #he didn't organize or protest with enough destruction or maybe he thought he couldn't until it became a last resort

#like I find it funny that despite everything gojo wanted to do bc his form of resistance was so lax he ended up alienating hakari and kirara #and the elders. the divide and conquerers that they were used it to expel them from the school #just ahhhhhhhhh so many thoughts I wish they could've done more I wish I wish I wish

In that post, I joked that Karl Marx could’ve saved Geto, but that wasn’t really a joke. Trying to address exploitation without the theoretical framework to be productive about it is like swimming against an ocean riptide at night. You can recognize that you’re drowning, but not knowing where the shore is or that you need to swim at an angle instead of directly against the current dooms you.

The really sad thing is that Geto never realized that non-sorcerers were exploited just like him. Nanami worked directly alongside them and realized their exploitation was one in the same.

He realized that this exploitation was a systemic issue. Gojo realized that those in power were responsible for enforcing it. Both of them lacked the drive to be aggressive about that in the way Geto was. Together, the 3 of them really could’ve unionized to obtain the work-life balance they desperately needed.

But that was never going to happen. The higher ups isolated them until their communication skills and therefore relationships deteriorated alongside their mental states. (Notice how even outside of Jujustu Nanami has no friends. He's just as alone as those two.)

Geto's Love

I don’t think Geto ever learned how to love properly after Toji in a very similar vein to Gojo. Though he more outwardly shows affection to his family, there’s this sense of distance he has between them as a cult leader. His children call him Master and do not take his last name. He’s worshiped as a figurehead and for his beauty. And no one really understands him in the way Gojo used to.

And it must also be noted that the anguish from his family and daughters at his possession did not cause his body to stir. Only Gojo calling his name did.

It's not that Geto doesn't love his family, he just loves Gojo more despite having spent less time with him. (10 years with his family vs 3 years with Gojo.) Even Geto himself says that his family isn’t enough for him to be truly happy.

A world where sorcerers are not exploited is what he thinks will fix this. He wants this for himself, his family, and Gojo. Especially Gojo.

Their breakup was caused by Gojo being exploited more than anyone else. Geto has always objected to that. A world of only sorcerers hypothetically gets rid of the labor exploitation Geto hates for every sorcerer. And it also creates a world where Gojo doesn't need to be The Strongest. It's a world where instead of being overworked, Gojo will have all the time in the world for Geto.

This love Geto holds for Gojo underlies his actions. Him setting this ridiculous plan into motion on December 24th is a grandiose romantic gesture. You can feel the resentment and the longing. He tried to fill the Gojo hole in his heart with a new family and hatred only to fail.

Gojo reciprocated. He always did. But neither of them realized the love was mutual until both of them were dead because work came first.

So yeah anon, Geto was jealous. Both Toji and Sukuna got to know Gojo in ways he couldn’t because being an enemy of Gojo ironically gives them more direct attention from him since that’s a part of work.

Jujustu Society vs Queerness

Even if Gojo and Geto realized their love before everything went to hell, I'm not sure if they would've acted on it due to societal stigma.

Like @nyan-bynary mentioned, Kiara's transness is something the higher ups no doubt rejected. The type of conservatism modern Japan is under does not embrace the open queerness of the past that was especially prevalent during the Heian Era, you know the Jujutsu Golden Age. In a reflection of these politics, the Zenins embody the type of sexual hierarchy wanted by the elders—men run everything and women have children. Even though Hakari and Kiara are a straight couple, they're unable to have children together which is rebellion in of itself. Why Gojo didn't do more for them is kind of baffling.

To be fair, Gojo kind of sucks at sticking up against injustices like this. Hakari and Kiara aren't the only failed in this way. When Geto is verbally discriminatory towards Maki, Gojo doesn't refute his beliefs, Yuta does.

This is honestly, pretty fudged up. Gojo just lets Geto be horrible and offers a weak "don't do that" as a response instead of arguing for Maki's personhood. And we know for a fact he is strong enough to do something and be taken seriously. After all, he did threaten the elders to protect Yuta's life. He didn't stop Geto until he became a large-scale physical threat. For some reason, that's the only type of discrimination Gojo will act on—violent acts that will result in death.

I think this is because Geto told him he needed a really good reason to kill other humans before he snapped. It took a lot of convincing for Gojo to slaughter the higher ups as the result of this. His inaction here could also stem from Gojo being so used to dehumanization that he hardly recognizes it as a problem. But Gojo did force Nanami to address Yuji as a human child instead of Sukuna's Vessel later, so perhaps he reflected on this exchange and tried to do better. (Despite allowing everyone else from Kyoto to be weird about Yuji.)

Regardless, it's this passive mentality when it comes to non-violent discrimination that makes me think Gojo wouldn't have acted on his feelings for Geto.

There's probably a lot of pressure on Gojo to have progeny of some kind (aka be straight and have babies). I do find it a bit odd we've seen nothing of his Clan to the point that Megumi also knows nothing about it. (Though this was probably to spare him the politics drama for the enjoyment of his youth.) They did spoil Gojo rotten, but that doesn't mean backwards societal expectations weren't thrust on him from birth. He was raised to be a living weapon you know. Suppression of his own queerness was likely a part of that education.

And though Gojo is pretty rebellious when it comes to challenging the status quo, like antagonizing those older than him and letting those younger than him speak freely around him, he still has some toxic ideas from his youth he hasn't let go of. He prioritizes his strength over bonds and allows himself to be exploited while trying to make sure his students don't wind up like him...by having them prioritize strength through pushing their limits.

In other words, Gojo would likely just repress his feelings for Geto if it meant obtaining his goals. A queer relationship would be used against him by the higher ups since it rebels against the expectations of Jujustu Society in a way he hasn't pushed hard against. (I'm so sorry Hakari and Kiara.)

With that being said, it's not all that surprising that a lot of the curse users are openly queer. They've freed themselves of exploitation and expectations. Their genders and sexualities are theirs to control. None of them are shy about it. Larue openly loves Geto, Sukuna will kill you for not respecting his disinterest in romance and sex, Uraume will kill you for not respecting that, Kashimo will hit on a man as he's being killed by him, Kenjaku is Kenjaku.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Gojo is at his horniest when he's fighting other men. It's like the one space where he's allowed to engage that side of himself without fear of repercussion because at the end of the day, one of them is going to be dead anyways. (His flirting with Nanami when they're alone together not included.) Sometimes queer people want their love with violence because it’s the only way they can have their sexuality without guilt. That punishment absolves the sin.

Jujutsu Society as it stands is not compatible with queerness. Gojo has a really fudged up way of expressing his attraction to men as the result of this. And if you ask me, I think Toji is the one who really got his wires crossed.

[magicwhiskers29]

“You don’t always have to be the Hero!”

“It doesn’t always need to be you!”

As I understand, this line has been thrown around a bit because, well, it’s just a really good line, for any situation it can fit for. It’s impactful, the voice work on the original is really good, and it summarises a lot of LMK season 5’s core themes really well! Heck, it probably summarises a lot of themes really well, but I think there’s something interesting to be found in the fact that it’s Macaque saying it, originally.

Let’s roll back a second to Shadow Play, s2e7, because I think that can really recontextualise it.

“The Hero and the Warrior were like the sun and moon, their light a protective glow, shining upon the world.”

“Together, there was nothing that could stop the two of them, in either the Celestial Realms, or on Earth.”

“As time went on, the Hero gained power beyond comprehension.”

“As his light grew, so too did his shadow, and soon, the Warrior was cast in that shadow.”

“In the darkness, the Warrior was forgotten by the Hero.”

…okay, so I’m pretty sure a good half of the fanbase already has this monologue memorised, but I digress. Because the loaded meaning behind the words “Hero” and “Warrior” are never forgotten by the show. If we cut ahead to Embrace Your Destiny, the s3 special, we get a direct reference to these titles in a practical setting.

“I’m not a Hero, bud.”

“Then be a Warrior!”

This is the moment which really kickstarts Macaque’s turn to start working with the Monkie Kids. He doesn’t work against them again, after this point! (As of season 5) MK tells him that to do good things, and save the world, he doesn’t have to be the Hero in limelight – he can be the Warrior, doing good from the shadows. And for as much as Macaque does take quite a prominent role in the fight after this, literally taking on Wukong 1v1, it’s still MK who ends up with the glory, in the end.

Macaque needed to hear this because he does these antagonistic things out of self-preservation, yes, but also out of a spite which he knows isn’t especially heroic. And because he doesn’t want to be the guy who leaves stuff behind. But after this, he doesn’t act as an antagonist again, and he does stuff which he really doesn’t want to do, like confronting his past with Wukong in the scroll, in the season 4 special! What MK says sticks with him.

And to get it out of the way, not every time the word “Hero” is used in the show is necessarily a reference to the Hero and Warrior. For instance, when Mei yells at a possessed Wukong and LBD in the season 3 special, she says “Because that’s the hard part of being a hero!”, but I don’t think she’s talking about the implications of limelight, or Wukong and Macaque’s story. I mean, she never even saw the play in Shadow Play, so she likely doesn’t even know the deeper meaning behind that word...

A lot of these other moments can carry interesting implications when examined through that lens (E.G. how Mei fits into the Hero-Warrior dynamic, or the nature of LBD’s “Save your hero speech, child” from the end of season 3) but I think those would better be left for a different analysis.

These two lines from season 5, at the beginning of this post, have a direct connection to the Hero-Warrior stuff though, because they're from the character who invented that metaphor, to the only other character who understands it. It’s like a coded message, I suppose.

Throughout a lot of Macaque’s screen time, especially in the earlier seasons, he preaches about self-preservation, specifically under the advice of “look out for number one”. He believes that people like him, and later MK, need to be the ones to look out for themselves, because otherwise, no one will. This is expanded upon to seem a little more heroic and noble in later seasons, to be similar to a sentiment that Wukong expresses about choosing your own destiny, and forging your own path. The core of the advice is still centred on trusting yourself, and prioritising your own beliefs, but it’s no longer about something that could be perceived as selfish, and more a tool to use for good.

Macaque is shown to want MK to look out for himself less selflessly. His advice in season 4 is this choosing your own destiny stuff, but it also mirrors the end of season 5 really well. He tells MK that the two choices of fighting Azure, or not fighting Azure don’t have to be the only choices. If MK goes to fight Azure as is, he will lose, and there is a good chance that he will die. Like, obviously Macaque doesn’t want the whole universe that he lives in to be destroyed, but he’s also not yet fighting for it, at this point. He does want MK to do what is most likely to save everyone, but the reason he pulled MK aside was to appeal to him to take care of himself.

Season 5 already mirrors and is a true continuation of season 4 in a lot of ways, with the main threat once again being the sky cracks that symbolise the end of the world due to the death of the Jade Emperor, but it’s thematically that we can really see that. Macaque even literally brings up that MK is misconstruing his advice from the previous season in the line right before the ones I’m supposed (haha, we're getting there) to be analysing.

Once again, MK has two choices, functionally: save the world at the cost of himself, or do nothing. Once again, Macaque is advocating for MK to make a third choice, one where the world can be saved without MK likely dying in the process, but MK had taken the whole “choose your own destiny thing” to be choosing the choice that only he can. Macaque’s biggest argument to this are these two lines. That MK doesn’t need to be the Hero, this time, or any time.

The Hero exists a public figure that people can rely on. He represents absolute power, as well as recklessness. In Macaque’s story, the Hero gains power, and then leaves his friend behind, so he’s strong, but doesn’t stop to think about consequences. Now, obviously Macaque is very biased in his story, because we know Wukong very clearly does still care about Macaque, but to what the story represents between MK and Macaque, that’s not necessarily important.

Macaque is just telling MK that he doesn’t need to be someone who’s the public picture of heroism. He has all of this power, but it’s his choice how to use it. Sometimes, it’s okay to take a backseat and be a Warrior, someone who can look out for themself, and who doesn’t always have to do everything themself. Once, the Hero and the Warrior were ultimate power together. The fact that the Hero became that by himself suggests that he still does the job he once did – he just doesn’t need to have anyone help him with it.

The Hero is supposed to be presented as a selfish figure, but that can also flip around to be someone who’s selfless, so selfless that they try to carry the weight of a good mission on their shoulders alone. The Hero’s sin was abandoning the Warrior, not unspeakable evil or something. And… Isn’t that sort of what MK is doing here? He’s trying to an act so selfless that it really could only be called heroic, but to the friends he’s leaving behind to make a sacrifice that’s really a not-so-subtly-disguised suicide allegory, it’s selfish. He abandons them all to fulfil his supposed destiny, but they don’t need him to sacrifice himself – they want to find another way with him.

If you want to look at it that way, MK is playing out the story again. Seems fitting, when later in the same episode, Wukong, the original Hero, tries to take his place and make the same sacrifice.

Macaque’s statement to MK is so loaded because of his history as the original Warrior, and what being a hero really means to him, and across the show with MK’s actions as a whole. He doesn’t need to always be the Hero – sometimes it’s okay to just be a Warrior. And it doesn’t always need to be him – just like the original Hero, there are people who would want to help him, if he just doesn’t leave them behind.

[ceoandslutler]

a short analysis on the theme of kindness in kuro, in defence of the morally reprehensible protagonists. pt2

focused character analysis: ciel phantomhive (ours)

before getting into this, i highly recommend reading my last post which received a great response from @plague-of-insomnia (very much appreciated additions that i will be referring to), i wanted to do a part two to my analysis and i will likely do a post of sebastian too but for now it's ciel who i want to focus on and how he is 'different' to other humans.

firstly i would like to follow up the points i made about the blue memory arc

our ciel wants to open a toy shop because of his own condition of being stuck at home with limited activities, he wants to make indoor toys. his brother says "nobles don't sell toys" and in this chapter it is alluded multiple times that he, as the second son, should have either become a 'vicar' or 'doctor' as they are respectable jobs, unlike being a toy maker/seller. another point is that o!ciel establishes here that he knows he can't be like the other members of the phantomhive bloodline (see: pt1 talking about undertaker's quote "he is unlike his predecessors"). back to the second son point, we already know how frustrating it is to be a second son:

but o!ciel has not once shown himself to be jealous of his brother, nor was he frustrated that he couldn't be earl. in fact he constantly reassures his brother in the blue memory arc that he is like their father and he'll make a great earl. he also makes it clear he does not desire the popularity that comes with being a vicar. (we see the vicar in their land is a manager of affairs with a lot of power/responsibility/direct access to nobility and when seb takes on the vicar disguise, ciel makes it clear that he is a "popular" person, akin to a "celebrity"). roles of religious importance are shown as vain in kuro.

it's interesting because the chapter we see the real vicar rathbone is the same chapter o!ciel says he wants to make toys and r!ciel says nobles don't do that and the murder arc where sebs is disguised as an alternate vicar rathbone is the same arc we find that o!ciel reads working class magazines because the consumers of his toys/funtom products are "common folk", he even reads punch!

..that's it for vicars, those are the only two instances we see them mentioned. the doctors we see are different. we have madame red who became a killer and used her skills to kill prostitutes out of spite (edit: as well as viscount druitt who does have a medical licence and we saw him doing human trafficking although i forgot about him, thank god plague-of-insomnia reminded me lmao) but we have two other doctors characters that are very important.

this nasty piece of work ^^ in the circus arc, very selfish and inhuman, uses VERY unethical methods to create prosthetics, morally bankrupt doctor similar to madame red

this stoker guy who is also a doctor. selfish, doesn't understand what medicine he's even using on people, just generally a egotistical awful guy.

in both these arcs, we see o!ciel show humanity

he's going to the workhouse baron kelvin supported and is going to recommend it to a philanthropist. although there was no workhouse, those children were likely already the doctor's victims.

in the campania, he not only goes back for lizzy, he is very considerate of a servant who not only tried to kill him with his snakes but also doesn't even call him by a formal title (snake called him 'smile' until the end, ciel never took offence to it despite being a noble)

he not only shows this amount of consideration, he also gives up his seat in the boats which plague-of-insomnia mentioned when they rb-ed pt1 of this analysis. i genuinely think the way o!ciel treats snake is extremely perplexing, he is too considerate... perhaps guilt? perhaps the empathy he feels as he too lived a lonely and alienated life as compared to the rest of his family? he felt like his family did not tell him anything and just died/disappeared, leaving him to have to wait for the killers to come back for him just so he can get his self-righteous revenge.

finally i would like to point out a little tidbit, o!ciel generally does not seem to care at all about society's expectations. his relationship with his tenants and servants is abnormally humane. i would also like to point out his confusion at elizabeth's sobbing about being the scary kind of woman he doesn't like (something r!ciel had implied)

this boy has never shown that kind of expression towards femininity or women... even when it sounds like he's being sexist, it's usually a poorly done translation, i don't know japanese well but before anyone pulls this up, i found the japanese raw to check over it myself:

he did not say "ladies don't come in such monstrous heights", he said something more along the lines of "it's impossible/i can't stand to dance with a tall/big lady in this way"(?)

[please correct me if i'm wrong, i don't know japanese well and my forte is indo european languages]

the point of this analysis is not to say ciel is solely "good" or 'pure cinnamon roll uwu' (i would never), but just to say he is capable of humanity... in a story about horrible humans, he as a one of the morally grey main characters is capable of being a force for good. he's also pointed out to be different to others and shown to not contain the same bad aspects of the other pathways he could've gone in life e.g. vain vicar or diabolical doctor. he is at his core, a character who shows humanity and compassion and that is why he is likeable even when he does heinous things. he is more than an innocent baby and more than an evil aristocrat with zero morals. although the head honcho of this story is sebs but i will get into him in another post, he's also a VERY interesting protagonist.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

How do you feel about the writers constantly ignoring the ending to Cat Blanc? I just rewatched the episode recently, and the ending still drives me crazy, because Ladybug obviously remembers her fight with him in the future. So why couldn’t she tell Cat Noir about it in Season 4?

It really feels like the writers only introduced Cat Blanc for one purpose: shock value.

Whenever Cat Blanc is referenced in the handful of times he is during Seasons 4 and 5 (Sentibubbler, Strikeback, Representation), it amounts to just showing the audience how spooky he looks and reminding them of how scary his timeline was. It's not used to further actual character development, and it definitely isn't relevant to the plot involving Marinette's trauma.

Remember, not only did we get two instances of Cat Noir in white that didn't seem to phase Ladybug (Jubilation, Paris Special), Season 5 made a bigger deal about two separate incidents fueling Marinette's paranoid regarding her feelings for Adrien. First we had Felix capitalizing on Marinette's crush on his cousin to screw her over for totally noble and valid reasons, and then we had the revelation of how much Chloe tormented Marinette for at least a year. Now I'm not saying neither of those experiences aren't incredibly traumatic, but you know what's worse than either of those?

TRAVELING TO AN ALTERNATE TIMELINE WHERE EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND LOVE IS DEAD THANKS TO YOUR CLOSEST ALLY, WHO ALSO SAYS YOU'RE TO BLAME FOR THE APOCALYPSE!

Like so many plot threads introduced in this show, Marinette's fear of Cat Blanc is dropped because the writers decided to focus on something else instead of developing what they already introduced. By Season 5, Cat Blanc is just ignored without any proper resolution, and the writers only bring him back just to say "Remember Cat Blanc? He's pretty scaaaaaaary, isn't he?" It's something Astruc's team can point to when critics say the show isn't mature enough.

[armandisdaddy]

A Viper and A Dragon

Chapter One-The First Meeting

[Pairing:Daemon Targaryen x OC Fem Character]

[Warning/Content: Masturbating,Sexual Tension,Teasing, Arranged marriage, Lots of lusting after one another.]

Allyria was a beautiful young woman from Dorne. Her family was of noble blood and highly respected by the Targaryens. Her father grew up with King Viserys. In-fact Viserys treated him like a brother. Even though she was one of the most gorgeous young ladies in Westeros she had managed to evade marriage for quite some time since her name day which was a few years ago. Her mother often threatened she’d be an old maid by the time she intended to marry, but in her mind she wished to be independent after all she could do well without a man they only complicated things after all. Unfortunately she couldn’t evade it any longer and with King Viserys’s invitation Allyria’s father intended on marrying her off to someone in King’s Landing.

Meanwhile in King’s Landing Daemon had been begging his brother once more to let him marry Rhaenyra. And yet again he denied him of it, she was to be married to Laenor Velaryon. “I have someone else in mind for you brother. You won’t be disappointed.” Viserys assured him. “Yes, the same way I was assured about the bronze bitch…” He scoffed rolling his eyes in annoyance he figured in his defeat he’d go off and have a drink or two; maybe three. Who’s counting really? The next day he came in stumbling smelling of wine and ale. One of the King’s guard dragged him into the throne room where he saw a few familiar faces all but one.

Allyria stood tall her dark hair flowing over her shoulders and down her back. Her dressed was orange and gold and was held together by golden chains that laced over her back while the fabric of her dress clinged to her body ever so loosely. The prince was prepared to be scolded by his brother once more, but not in front of such a beautiful creature. His pride would not have it. He stood to his feet quickly fixed his mussed up hair and fixing his clothes. The king finally noted his presence and stood to his feet. “Brother you’ve finally come to join us we were waiting for you.

“You remember Lord Balereon and his Lady wife Anisa. Also their daughter Lady Allyria I invited them for the tourneys coming in a few days. There is a future celebration to be had.” Daemon nodded and bowed respectfully while Allyria watched from the corner of her eye. He was rather handsome she thought. Also he looked like he could bed a woman good. She hummed to herself looking away to get her mind back on track. It had been years since the King asked for her father to come here personally so why now? “Lord Balereon, Lady Anisa come we have something important to discuss. Daemon can show Allyria around and he will be respectful and noble I assure you.” He emphasized noble mainly speaking to Daemon when he did.

Daemon put on his charm and have a dazzling smile before he held out his arm for her. She laced her arm into his and smiled back at her father and mother as she walked away. They were silent as they walked for a while Daemon was in awe of the woman that stood before him. She was even more captivating this close and she didn’t say a word and yet he could feel himself being pulled toward her. “Are you going to say something Prince Daemon or are you just going to gawk at me the entire time?” He was pulled from his trance once she spoke and he chuckled at such a remark.

“A beautiful face with the tongue of a viper you are rather interesting, Lady Allyria.” She smiled watching the lords and ladies watching hungrily or enviously either way she enjoyed the attention. “That was a compliment was it not, my prince?” She looked to him with the rich brown eyes that flowed like pots of honey when the sun hit them. He stammered a bit still mesmerized by her beauty. “Oh…yes of course.” Her lush lips curled into a knowing grin. “So where is it you go to have fun. I’d like a drink.” He raised a brow at her and teased, “A young lady like you could possibly handle a drink.” She looked at him as if he was challenging her. “I’ll have to show you what I’m capable of I see.”

“I know just the place.” He took her hand as they ran off through a narrow path to get to the outskirts of the castle. He took her to one of his favorite taverns and of course every eye turned to look at her once they arrived. She sat upon a table her rich coppered skin glittering like gold. She was given their best ale and she almost gagged at the taste. “I told you m’lady you cannot handle your drink.” She down the cup without a moment to breathe and she laughed. “That shyte is disgusting we have way better ale in Dorne who made that swill anyway.”

He was a bit amazed he had never met a woman like her. Ever… not even Rhaenyra held a candle to her. She was a rare jewel indeed and had to have her. After a few more drinks she ended up carrying him back to the castle it was time for dinner and they were late. Once they arrived Viserys placed a hand over his face and began to apologize for Daemon. “My King there is no need to apologize I’m sure my daughter had something to do with this.” She giggled sitting him down and finding a seat next to him. “Forgive me, My King…I was rather bored of promenading through the castle I asked prince Daemon to take me somewhere for a decent drink and well here we are.”

Viserys laughed and quickly reassured her that there was no harm done. “I’m glad to see that their may be someone in this world that can actually keep up with my brother. The two of you seem to be getting along well with one another. Now that your father and I have gotten the matter settled let us raise our cups to the wonderful union of our two houses.” Allyria’s smiled faded and Daemon was too sloshed to even notice. Her family noted her flat expression and silence for the remainder of dinner.

Finally, being able to dismiss herself she made her way to her chambers but was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. It was The Rogue Dragon himself. With a bit of food on his stomach he came back to himself a lot quicker. “I see you are not happy about our betrothal.” She turned to face him with anger fuming. “It is that obvious? I had thought that me being unmarried long enough would make my father stop trying entirely. I thought wrong apparently.” He felt a bit upset from her reaction but tried not to show it. “We seemed like we were enjoying ourselves I thought you and I seemed made for each other.”

“I enjoy your company, but I know as well as the whole entire realm knows that you want The Iron Throne and Rhaenyra. Let us not mention the rumors of you getting rid of Lady Rhea. Just so you could be free to marry the princess. Word travels far, m’lord. How long will it take before I can no longer hold your affections or attentions, my Prince? How long will it take for you to discard me like some used thing? I do not want that for myself. I would rather be free and alone.” She snatched away from him before she quickly found sanctuary in her chambers.

The next morning she was awakened by a knock on the door. “Come in.” It was her mother coming in to see how she had been fairing since she heard the news. “I know you aren’t happy, Little Lotus. You’re father and I are what we think is best for you.” Allyria laughed it off , “What’s best for me? Or what is best for our house. I’m sure with me marrying The Prince and siring an heir that will forever bind us to the powers that be. I may be a young woman mother, but am not simple.” Anisa sighed and shook her head. “Things are different in Dorne for women and you know that. Why would I want to leave such a liberated country to be sought after by men and envied by women who’ve never had an ounce of freedom since the day they were pushed from their mother��s cunt?”

“Dearest, it is not a punishment. Your father and the King have known each other for quite some time this is an honor for our family, please just try to make the best of it.” Allyria nodded softly and sighed. “It’s not like I have a choice in the matter. Like a nightingale in a cage..” Anisa left her to get ready for the day but didn’t leave without reminding her the wedding was in three days time. “Ysilla, come in please I’d like to get dressed.” Her handmaiden didn’t take much time to come in and quickly started to get her lady ready.

Allyria loved letting her deep brown tresses down in its natural state. Thick and wavy. “Ysilla can you grab that red dress for me.” She smiled at the choice. “The red is an excellent choice, miss.” Grabbing the garment she helped her put it on. When she looked at herself in the mirror she smiled to herself looking at the masterpiece that was her. “Thank you, Ysilla. I’ll be showing myself around the castle for a while.” Ysilla bowed her head and left her. She sighed softly and decided to hide out in the library. But upon arriving she spotted Daemon in the courtyard below and sparring with one of the King’s guards. She leaned on the stone watching him rather closely.

He was arrogant and rather egotistical and unfortunately she loved that in a man. How beautiful was he…attacking his opponent gracefully but with so much power behind each strike. She bit her lip feeling her thighs rubbing together causing friction. She sighed wantonly wishing to find relief, but her thighs were just making things worse. Her soft digits pushed the thin red linen to the side and slowly rubbed over her soft folds parting them to find her bundle of nerves. Circling over it slowly it sent soft shocks through her body as she continued to watch her betrothed.

The way he grunted with each attack. The sweat dripping from his face due to the action itself was primal. She trembled and whimpered softly trying not to be heard. Her eyes rolled as her two fingers began to fill her walls up touching that one spot that were send her over the edge. She thought of him grunting and rutting against her like an animal. Pulling her hair and reaching spots her fingers could not. “Daemon…” she cooed lovingly and to her surprise she felt a hand touch her shoulder. “And why are you calling my name so deliciously, My darling Viper?”

She looked to the courtyard and saw everyone was gone. Hesitant to turn around she held her hands behind her back hoping to hide the evidence of her arousal. “Did I? Forgive me, my Prince I did not mean…” He pulled her hand from behind her and examined the evidence. He smiled smelling her scent and instinctively he took her fingers into his mouth and licked them clean. “So sweet…” He muttered. She nearly fainted from seeing such a thing. He grabbed her waist pulling her in as she tried to make a step back. “I’d take you right here if I didn’t respect your father or my brother. On our wedding night you won’t be able to escape me.”

She winced at the idea of marriage internally, but the idea of their love making made her reconsider it a bit. “I guess we will see what my dragon is capable of then, yes?” She grabbed his chin and kissed his lips tasting a mixture of her sweet nectar and his saliva which made him groan into the kiss before she pulled away and went to go find the library. “Until our wedding night, my Prince. I’ll be waiting for you.” She disappeared down the hall and now his head was filled with nothing but her..was he in love or did he just want to fuck her brain loose..

To be continued…

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

[raidark]

The thing about Jacaerys not considering his half brothers threats and the difference between Jace/Babies and Rhaenyra/Aegon is that there's the assumption that they would all be raised by Rhaenyra with the knowledge/belief that Jace is the rightful heir to the throne after her passing. The one who would be most interested in poisoning the kiddos to get the throne would be Daemon, but even then there's a considerable chance that Rhaenyra would bring him into Jace's camp; especially after his loyalty was congealed by his Harrenhal ayahuasca trip. Aegon was easy to put against Rhaenyra because Alicent spent YEARS poisoning the Targtowers against them and Rhaenyra herself never made much effort to getting close to her siblings. Not only would the kiddos ideally be raised by people who mostly support Jace in the throne and would deter sedicious thoughts but Jace himself has been shown being a goos brother whenever he interacted with the siblings, I am sure he would be the same for them if given the chance. The dragonseeds plan as cooked in the show is different in context, it's like giving random people (including the town's drunkard) the nuclear codes that your family has been using to cement power.

I'm actually writing a VERY LONG post about how much the show has hurt the character of Jace and make him had a very inconsequential arc with artificial drama. In it I also talk about Show Jace's reaction and fears about his succession and I comment the very same thing you're explaining here. I do agree with you, anon. The situation with Aegon and Viserys is very different. Especially in the book where they're explicitly said to have adored his older half-brothers, and Jace is shown to be super protective of Aegon and Viserys. I truly think that it would have been impossible for Daemon to pull something in the book, and it would also be hard for him in the show.

However my post was about Show Jace's mind and his point, which wasn't precisely logic either. There's a lot of arguments against how he frames the Dragonseeds issue as a threat to his succession. The reason Hugh and Ulf are a threat is not because the nobles are going to support them in virtue of looking more Targaryen than Jace, or because they have the same claim. The threat they represent is merely because they have two of the largest dragons, because they have Vermithor and Silverwing. It's dangerous because they're giving two of the strongest nukes to unknown people, but not because they represent a truly political threat to Jace. I'm talking more about this in my huge post but realistically there's no reason to believe they have a claim or that nobles would wholeheartedly support them at all, if anything, they would see the danger they suppose and be glad to eliminate them, especially if that means being rewarded by the Crown. Hugh and Ulf can't always be with their dragons after all, and at those moments they're completely helpless.

It's also not like Show Jace has ever interacted with his younger half-brothers so we could know what he thinks about them at all, and since they were made too much younger it's not like we know if they like their older brother either. We know Book Jace loved them, but nothing says the same about Show Jace. Show Jace didn't even say goodbye to them at all, only to Joffrey.

What I wrote in my previous post is that it doesn't make sense that Show Jace as he's written doesn't have even the slightlest doubt or repressed resentment about Aegon and Viserys. He's consumed by fear, doubts and self-loathing. He has two younger half-brothers who represent everything he was made to fear and be worried about in the show, who are a clear parallel to Rhaenyra and her half-brothers, regardless of the differences. They're undisputably legitimate, have the hair he wished he had and will never have to worry about rumors like he and his brothers did (or if anything, he could think there will be rumors about how Aegon should be Rhaenyra's heir instead of him). He also knows Daemon, who in this what if scenario would be the Otto/Alicent instigator, and Rhaenyra has been recently taken decisions that he didn't like and suppressing him, keeping him in the dark while she trusted and took the decisions with Mysaria.

But he never talks about what could have been otherwise a pretty legitimate issue and worry to Rhaenyra while he does snap about a very necessary decision during the war, with arguments that aren't that certain to begin with, even if pretty valid considering his psyche and humanity. If you are going to sell me this... arc, then make it better.

If you ask me this whole thing is stupid. I don't like this artificial and inconsequential drama, because it's inconsequential and won't go anywhere. We all know what's going to happen in early S3 unless they make yet another massive change. Book Jace's arc was stripped from him, given to other characters and instead they made up a filler arc for him that will have no different outcome and that no one will remember anyway. The fandom will barely remember him as the bastardy/mommy issues boy since he doesn't have anything else. The characters will forget him, just like they did with Luke and Visenya.

[sansa286]

Political Reasons to Support Either Team (Season 2 Edition)

Let's say you're a Westerosi citizen, noble or smallfolk, and the Dance of the Dragons has started. We'll pick up right where season 1 ends and season 2 begins. This will focus solely on the political side of things and will not bring into account outside factors like character analysis; while yes, we the audience know Aemond killing Luke was an accident, the average person in Westeros does not, and likely never will. This is about what a Westerosi citizen might be thinking, not why an audience member might side with one team over the other. I put "Season 2 Edition" because this is bound to change as the series progresses and I may have to update as the war escalates.

We're going to start with Team Green as they currently hold King's Landing and, sanctioned or not, on purpose or not, with Luke's death, they're the one's who've officially called for war.

1.) Precedent is Maintained

With Aegon being named king, the precedent that men and boys come before women and girls in succession is maintained. Notice I said precedent and not law, as we've seen numerous times, including in the time period House of the Dragon takes place in, that notion can and does get challenged. But it's still something widely accepted. If you're a the first son, then you will more than likely be Team Green because if Rhaenyra takes the throne, then that means the older sister(s) you have could pose a real threat to what you believe is truly yours. So, in a way, not only is the precedent maintained, so is stability in the realm, as quarreling and attempted usurpations between sisters and brothers won't be normalized.

2.) Cultural Significance

While King's Landing is the capitol of Westeros, Oldtown is the largest city in and home to two of some of the most important cultural institutions in the country: the Faith of the Seven with the Starry Sept and the Citadel. Aegon is not only half-Hightower from his mother, the previous Queen Consort, but he also has a member of House Hightower as his Hand on his Small Council. House Hightower's support actually means a lot in this scenario because they themselves are one of the most influential houses in Westeros at this time. They're an ancient house, have maintained their status, respect, and wealth. They've also been involved with the royal family for some time. This connection to a cultural hub in Westeros will also impress the smallfolk, who may view Team Green as more "relatable" due to their Reach connections. Alicent donning Faith of the Seven jewelry and placing symbols of it throughout the castle is not just simply a show of faith, but also a way to signal to the other lords and ladies "hey, I'm like you."

3.) Well-Seasoned Politicians

The people that currently sit on Aegon's council are mostly well-seasoned and well-known politicians who've helped Viserys rule over a relatively peaceful period in Westeros; these familiar faces will be seen as a symbol for the continued prosperity Westeros can have under Aegon as he is surrounded by good advisors. In contrast to Rhaenyra, who will probably not keep her father's old Small Council (as they plotted her downfall for a decade plus) and thus things will be unsure, however, you can rest assured Daemon will surely be sitting at that table. From a nobleman standpoint this will make you uneasy, as you don't trust Daemon, who's made it a point to make a lot of enemies.

Now let's move on to Team Black, who currently have the ball in their court.

1.) Active and Experienced Leader

Rhaenyra sat on her father's Small Council for over a decade and ruled Dragonstone, the seat of the heir, for about six years with virtually no hiccups. And in that time, she birthed several children. Simply put: she's shown her dedication to the craft of learning to rule and engaging with it. Aegon does not have that reputation at all. Rhaenyra had rumors surrounding the paternity of her children, but to someone who values good leadership from the person in charge and not just their Small Council, Rhaenyra is clearly the way to go.

2.) Male-Preference Primogeniture Has Run Its Course (into the ground)

Say you're one of the several women in Westeros who currently holds a land and title, and you're sick of being challenged by your male family members, some being quite obscure, for your birthright. Say you're a lord with only daughters and would like your house to continue through one of them over your brother, nephew or cousin without any detractors or the potential of one of your daughters getting attacked once you've died. Perhaps you have really a crappy son(s) and a well-rounded older daughter(s) who show better potential for ruling well and you'd just simply prefer absolute primogeniture for the sake of your house. While there is no guarantee that Rhaenyra will implement this policy universally, if you try to go against the grain and name a woman or girl as your heir, you will have a reference point from the highest seat of power in the country.

3.) Respecting Wishes

Let's be honest: no one has an actual reason to believe Alicent when she said Viserys wanted Aegon to be the heir right before he died. While she definitely believes that, and while the audience knows that Viserys never intended for Aegon to be king, even in context, it sounds like a lie and no one, not even people on Team Green, believe her. If people playing on her team don't believe her, why would anyone else? For over twenty years, Viserys maintained that he wanted Rhaenyra as his heir, never waivered, and had witnesses both in the court session and at the following dinner affirm his decision to keep her as his heir. Put it simply: if you're someone with any sort of power, this would be quite concerning. If the king cannot have his wishes honored even in death, then what's stopping someone from doing the same to you?

BONUS: Neither/Both

If you're a member of the smallfolk, you'll be screwed over by war regardless of who wins. Crops will get burned, towns raided, family murdered and assaulted etc... The succession aspect doesn't matter to you, because you nor your family will ever have an ancestral seat, so what do you care? Hoping for a peaceful resolution between the family or not giving a damn about either is a more than sensible stance to take.

If you're a member of the nobility, playing it safe by waiting out the war and accepting whoever wins or only claiming a side when there's a clear winner is also a viable option. You nor any of your family or armies have to risk their lives in battle, and you'll keep your land. But, you might get a reputation for being a fence-sitter and get perpetually side-eyed by whoever the ruling monarch ends up being.

[serial-serializednovelreader]

What do you think about Mina so far?

Well, anon, hehe, I have already read Dracula before (and I will say Mina is in my top three favorite characters — I LOVE HER), *but* let’s pretend I haven’t read it and I‘ll catalogue the traits I’ve noticed about her from the entries we have so far…

From the first letter, I picked up on the fact that she’s hardworking, cares about her fiancé and friend, and has a bit of a silly streak.

“I have been working very hard lately, because I want to keep up with Jonathan's studies, and I have been practising shorthand very assiduously. When we are married I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan, and if I can stenograph well enough I can take down what he wants to say in this way and write it out for him on the typewriter, at which also I am practising very hard.”

“When I am with you I shall keep a diary in the same way. I don't mean one of those two-pages-to-the-week-with-Sunday-squeezed-in-a-corner diaries, but a sort of journal which I can write in whenever I feel inclined.”

“Tell me all the news when you write. You have not told me anything for a long time. I hear rumours, and especially of a tall, handsome, curly-haired man???”

I can also see her care for Jonathan from his own perspective on the May 5th entry. This passage shows how she is making him more confident in himself.

“Solicitor's clerk! Mina would not like that. Solicitor—for just before leaving London I got word that my examination was successful; and I am now a full-blown solicitor!”

The next passage from Mina shows me her more carefree and extroverted side. I get to see how she is as a journalist, describing the world around her and how she sees it. From what I can see, she sees the world through an unconventional lens — what others see as creepy, she sees as beautiful.

“The valley is beautifully green, and it is so steep that when you are on the high land on either side you look right across it, unless you are near enough to see down. The houses of the old town—the side away from us—are all red-roofed, and seem piled up one over the other anyhow, like the pictures we see of Nuremberg. Right over the town is the ruin of Whitby Abbey, which was sacked by the Danes, and which is the scene of part of "Marmion," where the girl was built up in the wall. It is a most noble ruin, of immense size, and full of beautiful and romantic bits; there is a legend that a white lady is seen in one of the windows.”

“Between it and the town there is another church, the parish one, round which is a big graveyard, all full of tombstones. This is to my mind the nicest spot in Whitby, for it lies right over the town, and has a full view of the harbour and all up the bay to where the headland called Kettleness stretches out into the sea.”

“They have a legend here that when a ship is lost bells are heard out at sea. I must ask the old man about this; he is coming this way....”

“I thought he would be a good person to learn interesting things from, so I asked him if he would mind telling me something about the whale-fishing in the old days.”

Then, July 26 happens and Mina opens up in a new way. She is anxious, yes, but everyone gets that way from time to time. What I really get from this is how good of a friend she is to Lucy, sympathizing with her worries about Arthur and planning for a marriage, not to mention the sleepwalking. She also has some kind words about Mr. Hawkins.

“I had not heard from Jonathan for some time, and was very concerned; but yesterday dear Mr. Hawkins, who is always so kind, sent me a letter from him.”

“Then, too, Lucy, although she is so well, has lately taken to her old habit of walking in her sleep. Her mother has spoken to me about it, and we have decided that I am to lock the door of our room every night.”

“Lucy is to be married in the autumn, and she is already planning out her dresses and how her house is to be arranged. I sympathise with her, for I do the same, only Jonathan and I will start in life in a very simple way, and shall have to try to make both ends meet.”

“Mr. Holmwood—he is the Hon. Arthur Holmwood, only son of Lord Godalming—is coming up here very shortly—as soon as he can leave town, for his father is not very well, and I think dear Lucy is counting the moments till he comes.”

There’s even more evidence of this in the next entry! She’s selfless in her concerns about Lucy’s health

“Lucy walks more than ever, and each night I am awakened by her moving about the room. Fortunately, the weather is so hot that she cannot get cold; but still the anxiety and the perpetually being wakened is beginning to tell on me, and I am getting nervous and wakeful myself. Thank God, Lucy's health keeps up.”

“Lucy frets at the postponement of seeing him, but it does not touch her looks; she is a trifle stouter, and her cheeks are a lovely rose-pink. She has lost that anæmic look which she had. I pray it will all last.”

So, if I’m judging all of this from the perspective of a first-time reader, so far she is a multi-faceted character. I have gotten to see her carefree and fun side, as well as her compassionate and anxious side. She’s well-rounded and hardworking. She’s selfless and bold.

There are more entries I could reference, but I believe they all come to the same conclusions I’ve made.

In conclusion…I love her!!! <3333 thanks for asking, anon :))))

[sparkbeast20]

My thoughts of Chapter One: Pt 1 (1-2 and 1-3)

I decide to not include the prologue, since we have that in the official YT in PrettyBusy.

1-2 "The Death of Belial...?" aka what the fuck is this title XD

The story start with us opening our eyes and seeing Sitri and Ppyong kneel

Goddamn!!! Look at that arm- *Cough*

I like that MC was really awe at Sitri and it took Ppyong greeting Satan to snap MC out of it

Now, I was so happy that Ppyong isn't one of those annoying characters. He manage to be right spot of being cute and smart... More that later.

So, of you unlock part 1 of Naberius' comic and part 2 or 3 Leraye's comic. It has said that Ppyong and devils like him are lesser devil.

It finally sink in to MC that Satan is what he said.

And that where MC and Satan is right now is Gehenna

Now, I want to talk about this. So Ppyong only mention the four region and not all seven, which made me wonder why?

I wanted to counter this with, "well technically we do have called hell all does names, is just within different languages XD"

Again... why not mention the other three region?

Also, through out the story you'll see that all these devils are bias for their home region. I see this as like a sports fan screaming their home team XD

Tho, this makes me wonder about characters that weren't originally from the region they are currently staying at. Like Buer and Bathin.

Bathin was originally from Paradise Lost and Buer was from Tartaros.

I think that they'll show more loyalty to the kings instead of the region.

What makes it sad that Bathin's Homescreen dialog.

Next, Satan asked the two where is Belial.

It ends with Sitri telling Satan that he and Belial was ambushed by angels. And both Satan and Sitri think that Belial is dead...

1-3 "Sitri's kiss"

So... Satan is dumb

Hell, Ppyong is the smart one here

But... Sitri is a yes man

And Ppyong is so done with them

This made me love Ppyong, while he can be loyal to Satan, and the nobles, he has his own thoughts.

After this, Ppyong ask who we are.

After getting a little nervous with all eyes on you, Satan answered

This is really important later, that Satan mention our name first rather calling us Son/Daughter of Solomon.

Then, he show Sitri and Ppyong the brand

After getting some... thoughts about Satan and our situation, Satan notice and tease us

Sir, stop!! I'm getting hot and flustered 😳

Then Sitri and Ppyong saw and reacted shock upon seeing the brand

Satan made sure to mention that it was a Seraphim that branded us.

Which... After seeing the other two Seraphim in the event, yet... It's a good idea to mention that its a Seraphim that did this.

Sitri is in disgust upon hearing it and start grinding his teeth like Satan, which is rare. He is mostly calm... Passive aggressive, but calm.

Then he asked why did a Seraph brand us.

As soon as he mention Solomon, Sitri was suddenly happy to the point he was in tears.

He rushed towards us and kissed us either on the lips or cheek it wasn't clear, it only describe the feeling of the kiss.

There was a moment where Sitri was crying and MC can either pushed him away (Who would do that!?!?) Or wipe away his tears.

Then Satan kicked him and yelled

Now, here's my hot take. I think that Sitri didn't do this with Solomon like what he did here with MC, and people would like to bring up that Satan kissed Solomon in that one comic. But that wasn't Satan.

The clothing is different and the horns are different, and this devil is wearing a earring, plus Satan's eye brows are red not the same hair color.

I do see Satan and the others kissed Solomon on the cheek when greeting him, but people saying this is Satan is wrong.

And the story ends with Ppyong asking Sitri why he kissed MC and he's responds is.

Now... I could admit that maybe Sitri did have feelings for Solomon, but I see that as a one sided love turned into (unrequired love) thing and he knew that he is just happy that he can see Solomon.

Tho that's all speculation. And seeing that this is a Otome game, I'm not holding my breath.

However, I'm hoping on a Sitri arc where he stops calling MC as Solomon when he can finally move one. Maybe in the future.

That's where I end this post (More so I'm limited with 30 pics XD)

[talleyuh]

i don’t think anyone was waiting at the edge of their seat for descendants: rise of red, but i feel like the premise had a lot of potential and a few small changes could’ve made the movie a lot better.

1. if the movie started with a cold opening with red causing some trouble around wonderland with a few friends, it would’ve shifted the tone of the movie to set it apart from the past descendants movies. we could’ve seen red, her friend maddox, and a few other people all acting like a version of robin hood and the merry men: thwarting the queen and causing minor chaos as rebellious acts. we could’ve seen that red has a desire to be good by stealing food for the poor, creating diversions to get people away from the guards who plan to execute them, or even releasing prisoners. that way it would’ve shown that even though she thinks of herself as good, she doesn’t have the most noble methods of carrying out good.

1.5 i think if they made the queen of hearts actually care for red deep down would make her more dynamic. even though she’s extremely controlling over red and wonderland, it would be to prevent red from ever experiencing humiliation or insecurity like she did.

2. by establishing that red has friends, being sent to auradon alone by her mother to take over would’ve cut off her emotional support system and be essentially forced to do what her mother says or be stranded in a strange land alone.

3. before the orientation day ceremony, we could see red and chloe butt heads while moving in their dorm or something. red is obviously in a very tormented place and one theme they tried to explore with chloe is performative kindness, so red could’ve seen right through chloe and ignored her.

4. when they eventually go back in time, we could see the nuances in the older characters and not everyone being as perfect as they seem. for example, ella could’ve been going to auradon on an academic scholarship instead of paying for tuition like everyone else, so she really tries to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. she only befriends bridget out of pity, since she’s either ignored or outright bullied by everyone else. bridget could struggle with forgiving people or moving on from being mistreated even though she’s naturally peppy.

i think charming’s character could’ve been a bit of a player (cliche i know) which is why ella originally rebuffed his advances, but then have him genuinely pursue her. also it would’ve been so fun if ella asked fay to help her with her outfit and have her hesitate to talk to charming at castlecoming since she has to go home at midnight and then they played “so this is love” to show the moment they fell in love. plus we’ve never seen someone’s fairytale play out on screen.

5. i think that we should’ve gotten a get ready montage for castlecoming, specifically with chloe and red finally getting along as they got glammed up for the dance. they should’ve both been in ball gowns (not the high low ones we kept seeing in the earlier films). the costume designers could’ve even added purple motifs to show how the two characters were coming to finally get along and see each other. like chloe could’ve worn a dress in a lavender-periwinkle color, or a deep royal blue that looked a little indigo. red could’ve worn a red-fuchsia to show her coming to a common ground with chloe with the purple and a pink to show her growing closer to her mom.

6. i think the prank at castlecoming should’ve played out, so we could see red, chloe, and ella be there for bridget. i think it would’ve made more sense if bridget was pranked at castlecoming and ella wasn’t there for her bc she was hanging out with charming, and after that bridget was angry so she stopped being friends with her. that would explain why she hates her so much all those years later.

7. as cheesy as it would’ve been, we should’ve gotten a scene where they supported each other and bridget stood up for herself against her bullies and that’s when red and chloe went back in time to see the changes that they made.

*the movie wasn’t all bad, i liked that they gave chloe a more nuanced view of goodness after spending time with her mom who did not grow up with as much privilege as she did. i feel like they could’ve had a scene where red learns that she can’t cause chaos because she thinks she’s helping. i think we should’ve gotten more from the villains, especially malifacent and hades. also if we saw red’s internal struggle between good and evil more (aka her wants vs her mom’s wants) and how that affected her relationship with chloe.

[amethystfairy1]

So it's mentioned in Travelling Thieves that Pearl and Grian are both much better fighters than Jimmy, and I just read your recent answered question explaining that.

However, there was a mention during one of Grian's parts that Pearl could've been strong enough to be retained by the colony but she didn't try as hard? I may be completely making that up but that's how I interpreted it. So, my two questions are these:

1. Could Pearl beat Gem or Grian in a fight and would the outcome change if Gem was using magic?

2. If I was right about the almost retained by the colony bit, is there any character we've been introduced to that Pearl wouldn't win against?

Hello, hello! ✨

That's right! Pearl and Grian are much better fighters than Jimmy, despite Jimmy being physically much stronger than either of them. But brute physical strength isn't a characteristic praised in avians, who are meant to be fast, agile, precise, and deadly in that manner. Jimmy brute forcing the fight with the great shielder while protecting Scott is a good example of him being very un-avian like in his tactics. If Pearl or Grian were in that fight, they probably would've been flying and darting around the guy swiping at him for a killing blow, not just tanking a hit and holding him back with pure strength. Neither of them would be capable of that. 😆

It is true that Pearl was strong enough to be retained! But she wasn't...and I'll give you a little crumb, it certainly wasn't because she didn't try...but the reasoning is something we will learn about soon, I hope! ☺️ To answer your specific questions.

Pearl would beat Grian consistently. It wouldn't be an easy fight by any stretch of the imagination, and if they ever did fight it would have to end in someone dying. Lethal force would be the only way one of them would take the other out, since they are so closely matched, but Pearl is certainly a bit stronger. Also keep in mind that while Grian was being kept as a pet for sadistic nobles because of his beautiful wings, Pearl was fighting daily as she belonged to various different mercenary or adventurer guilds or workhouses, which would essentially rent her out to anyone who wanted backup for one of their jobs. That means that Pearl's skills are far sharper than Grian's simply due to having gained way more experience than him after they were sold from their colonies. As for fighting Gem, the outcome would most certainly change depending on if or not Gem could use magic. With magic Gem would probably beat her, nature magic is incredibly powerful and versatile, we haven't seen it's power truly unleashed yet in the stories so far, but we will! It's gonna be intense! Pearl still might be able to win though depending on the terms of the fight, mainly if or not she was allowed to use lethal force. If she was fighting to kill, she could probably manage to pull off a victory even against Gem and her nature magic. If Gem wasn't allowed to use magic, Pearl would definitely beat her. It would probably be a good fight, Gem is incredibly talented, but avians are just an entirely different level.

So far, I think the only character we've met who might stand half a chance against Pearl in any consistent sense is Martyn. Witches are to magic like avians are to fighting. He's incredibly powerful, and if he had the time to gear up some spells, he could probably kill Pearl in one shot before she got anywhere close to him. Problem is like any good witch or mage, Martyn requires casting time. If Pearl knew he was a threat, she could get to him and finish him off long before he was able to get any spells off. But it would certainly be an interesting fight!

Thanks so much for coming by! 💖

[thewitchofbooks]

Cyril Rose ~ Facts

AN: I'm finally done with the important facts we know so far for both Cyril and Lucian, and since Cyril won, I'll post him first! Thank you very much to everyone who voted and to everyone reading this!

Warnings: All of the information is from the jp version of the game! Spoilers from Clavis' main Story, GW story sale bonus (detective), Clavis' 2nd birthday, Clavis' story events, Chevalier's 2nd anniversary winner party event story. Everything will be put under the cut:

The starting fact is his name. Cyril Rose was raised in a village in Obsidian, but when he joined the military, many said his last name sounded like he came from the country of roses.

Cyril and Clavis used to call each other "loser" when they first met during the war. Cyril did because he couldn't believe how someone can be like Clavis (putting his life on the line to save others, accepting everyone no matter what and a lot more), as well as how he could stay so calm during everything (but it turned more to teasing between them). Clavis was calling him a loser, because he didn't like how Cyril was ready to give up at that time and was able to help him regain his spirits and join Rhodolite's side.

Cyril is a very gentle and kind guy, but can also be funny with his snarky comments towards Clavis (something between two great friends)

Cyril calls Clavis an "idiot prince"

He has very bright red hair that are very noticeable and mentioned by other characters, (Chevalier, Sariel and more), including Emma.

Cyril doesn't have a lover (and Clavis made sure to remind him in the "Bittersweet Valentine" story event). Cyril told him to stop pretending as if he wasn't in the same position only a whole ago (Since Clavis' route released)

As confirmed in Clavis' 2nd birthday story, Cyril is a very fast runner and a very strong knight. He was able to run to the other side of the town with Emma in his arms (bridal style) and didn't stop at all (<- Emma was described "as light as a feather) and it was all to prank Clavis.) In Chevalier's 2nd anniversary No.1 story, we saw that he can match Chevalier in a sword fight, with fast and strong moves.

He knows how to help a woman get dressed and he can style hair buns, that look elegant and simple (Also from Clavis' 2nd birthday)

Him and Lucian are rumored as really good friends. It was said by Clavis, but he added that when they go out to drink, they're never seen sitting together on the same table. Also, Cyril was seen drinking grape juice while complaining to Rio and Emma about Clavis, while Luciam was most likely drinking alcohol (<-From the GW story sale bonus)

When that happened, he wasn't wearing any gloves (so he either took off his gloves because he wasn't working, or he doesn't wear any). He held Emma and Rio's hands in each of his, to guide them away from Clavis and he took them to Lucian's table.

According to Emma, his hands are rough from training, but very warm and safe.

Apparently, he tries every kind of new juice Clavis comes up with and that time, it was a new herbal juice (as punishment for sneaking from work). He didn't like it at all, yet he still drank it all.

They started bickering and while Emma was thinking that it looked like as if Cyril and Clavis were having fun, Lucian, after he used the mind reading skills he learned from Chevalier, nodded and agreed with her.

He is also very honest and loyal towards Clavis and the other princes (especially Chevalier)

He used to be just a third rate soldier in Obsidian, along with his friends Kai and Hugo. Hugo seems to be the youngest, since he uses honorifics to address Cyril (in the Japanese version). Cyril is probably the oldest of the three, or similar with Kai.

Gilbert wants him back to Obsidian, but Cyril refuses to betray Clavis, leaving Gilbert heartbroken.

The village where Cyril used to love was poor, but the situation wasn't as bad as the parts on the borders between Obsidian and Rhodolite, due to the corrupted nobles.

He is greatly respected by Chevalier, who saw his value. Chevalier knows his name, but prefers to use the nickname "Red head". Same with the others. Even Clavis understands that. Cyril also respects Chevalier, but he thinks he is scary.

He is the lead knight of the foreign affairs faction and he is the one training the knew knights (not the soldiers).

Chevalier trusts him enough to let him in his room and also casually speaks to him. Even though they were trying to keep it secret (them leaving their duties for the day and going for drinks), he somewhat talked about it to Chevalier. But Clavis was hiding in Chevalier's room, so he exposed them. That's why he made him drink that "juice" (<-GW bonus story)

In the "propose to you" story event (Clavis', which is coming soon in EN), Clavis and Emma were getting engaged with Chevalier as the witness. Chevalier didn't look up at them at all and only when they left, he looked at Cyril to answer that he wasn't staying and he was going home with a smirk (Clavis was sad/mad at Chevalier who wouldn't look at how beautifully dressed Emma was). Cyril called him a troublesome brother after he left.

Originally, he was mostly hanging out with Rio for said drinks, but when Emma is free, they let her tag along (<- The bar they go to is only for the court's servants, I'm pretty sure it's to talk about their employees at this point🤣)

Cyril knows that many little boys dream of becoming knights when they grow up, but he, himself, felt like the job he was doing doesn't have a purpose, because lately, he had only been collecting banana peels and cleaning after Clavis.

Just for this reason, Emma and Rio were thanking him for his hard work and looked at him as if he was their savior.

He also complains that the knights have to eat bananas all the time, but they don't keep them very full. He doesn't want to even mention the reason why they do that.

He has more than once said to Emma to use Clavis' wallet for expensive things.

Cyril actually gets very offended when he gets told that he is like a natural born knight. Clavis was the one who told him, when he was being "too sweet" towards Emma. Cyril warned him to never say that again.

He is picking up Clavis' lines. While I don't remember it being translated in the EN version of the game, in the JP this happened: (<- Clavis' route, when they met with the rebels at the borders)

Clavis:"I don't understand why they don't want to welcome such a beautiful man"

Cyril:"Please, stop saying that. It's not fashionable"

(The fashionable comment)

He is the same age as Clavis, so he is 29 years old!

AN: Thank you very much for reading until the end! I hope these facts were helpful! I personally recommend reading both ends of Clavis' upcoming proposal event for more Cyril content!

[sauntervaguelydown]

what's interesting about Zenigata throughout the Lupin iii franchise is that he doesn't really have a core interiority. Everything about Zenigata is exterior.

Part 4 does this insane thing with him where he's locked into his role as judge/jury/executioner to such an extent that it seems pathological--he has to keep Lupin in prison even though it is making him, personally, miserable with grief. He has to make sure Lupin dies rather than let him escape. It will literally destroy the foundation of who he is as a person if he succeeds in the goal he's assigned himself, but he can't possibly do anything else. The law is the law and his job is his job, and he can't let himself be anything else even for a moment. It's fucking intense! It's Greek tragedy!

Compare that to part 5, which was made like? two years? later. And in this one, Zenigata explicitly states that he wants to put Lupin in jail because it's the only way to make Lupin understand his actions have consequences. To force him to turn over a new leaf, make him go straight, and then meet him on the other side. Literally wants to buy him a drink when he gets out of prison.

These could not be more different--I mean it's Antigone vs A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Are either of them more true to the spirit of the character than the other? Well. It's really hard to say, because we just don't know these things about Zenigata in Part One!

What's his relationship to justice? How does he feel about The Law? Is he a corrupt cop, is he noble? Is his chasing Lupin driven by career aspirations or personal passion?

EDIT: I have now read the manga translations, and uhhh well. Apparently they met in college and Zenigata hated his vibe SO bad he spent the rest of his life trying to kill the guy. Not sure that helps us much here.

As it stands, here's a rough list of the stuff I've watched and what its take on Zenigata is

Part One: in the first episode, Zenigata gives a brief explanation of their dynamic (for the sake of the audience) which is already WELL established in-universe. Here he says something like, "Lupin, if you weren't the Grandson of Arsene Lupin, and I wasn't the descendant of the famous Zenigata..." implying that something about this dynamic would change if it wasn't for their Cosmically Assigned Destinies as products of their Two Houses Alike in Dignity etc. What would be different? Would they be friends? I don't know! But Zenigata definitely seems to be beholden to the legacy of his own family here.

there's also an ep where Zenigata has Lupin in jail successfully. Zenigata stays on site guarding the jail the whole 6 months, and eventually one of the other guards says if I didn't know any better I'd think you were looking forward to seeing him escape.

later episodes led by Miyazaki lean more heavily on the context of his career; his relationship to his boss, a conference he wants to attend in his field, the fear of one's job being outmoded by technology etc.

The Mystery of Mamo: Zenigata has so much personal passion! When they tell him to drop the case, he literally quits the force to chase Lupin as a private citizen! This is the one where he swears he'll follow Lupin to the gates of Hell because they are fated rivals. This is also the one where he literally tries to stake Lupin in case he's turned into a vampire. so. I don't know man. He's fucking unhinged in this movie, it's pretty great.

Mamo is known to be closer in tone to the manga than anything else, but Zenigata is not this rabid in the manga. Manga Zenigata is more contemptuous and put-upon.

The Castle of Cagliostro: this is a neutral good Zenigata at his most admirable. When he can't get justice through the law, he teams up with criminals in order to circumvent corrupt government officials. He's also headstrong and fully willing to risk his own career, but not ready to throw it away at the first inconvenience. He is "very fond" of Lupin. He enjoys the chase, but he can put it aside in order to fry bigger fish. You get the impression that he cares about correcting injustice more than the letter of the law.

Part Two: Lupin fakes his death twice that I can remember and BOTH times Zenigata cries about it. On the first occasion, Zenigata shakes the corpse, begs it to wake up, then wonders tearfully what he's going to do with himself now that Lupin is dead. On the second occasion, Zenigata first tries to KILL himself rather than allow Lupin to rescue him (out of a sense of pride) and then cries and calls Lupin a "great man" after Lupin fakes a fatal crash. The resentment IMMEDIATELY gives way to mourning. He's very cavalier with his own life, but precious about Lupin's.

By the way, I love how much this man cries. I ALSO love crying in public and being homoerotically obsessed with my enemies. He's so relatable

the other thing is that this Zenigata is VERY binary about roles; he refuses to jailbreak from extralegal imprisonment because "cops don't escape jail". Doesn't matter that the jail is run by terrorists who are going to kill him, that's Not What Cops Do.

The Fuma Conspiracy: Lupin has faked his death yet again, and Zenigata has--in direct response to this--quit the force and BECOME A MONK, and explicitly says he is busy praying for Lupin's soul so that Lupin can be reincarnated as a law abiding citizen in his next life. What the fuck does this say about Zenigata? Buddy we don't have time to unpack that whole suitcase. In brief: Zenigata is prescriptive about law and legality as equaling goodness/dharma/morality etc. But he also changed his entire life so that he could remain dedicated to THE SOUL OF HIS DEAD NEMESIS. So this is clearly very personal, and has nothing to do with his career.

Part Three: limited familiarity with this one but I HAVE seen the episode where Zenigata gets fired due to his boss's embezzlement scheme and subsequently uncovers the scheme--there's a bit where Lupin pretends to mug him in an alley so they can have a private conversation, and Zenigata IS pretty quick to jump on the trail of this embezzlement scheme instead of chasing Lupin, once he's been tipped off. Perhaps more career driven in this one.

Lupin First Contact: some combination of career-based ambition and, like, Unrequited Rivalry At First Sight. He came here to chase Fujiko and got so distracted by this other idiot that he nearly forgot about her. To be fair, this story is narrated by Lupin so it may not even be an accurate representation of Zenigata within its own canon.

Ten Thousand Movies other from 1990-2005: girl most of these are so bad they are so SO bad. Most of the time Zenigata is not a major player. I can't remember anything he did in these except--oh, in Burning Memories, he uses the jute he keeps in a shinto shrine in his apartment after it survives a major fire. Loved that.

Also, he dresses in drag at the beginning of Farewell Nostradamus. This has nothing to do with anything I just loved it.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine: corrupt cop. dirtbag. full stop.

okay, no, really. Here he is explicitly concerned with his career; he laments that he had to take grunt work to get by, talks about being busted down the chain after reporting his dirty boss, is extremely defensive of anyone muscling in on his Case even someone he has every reason to trust... this is a man who only cares about his career

he does fuck Fujiko and it IS a corrupt move. He seems to imply he's done this before with other thieves. He KNOWS she faked an orgasm and he doesn't care. He's mean as hell.

He cares about his pride. He seems to think Having Personal Pride is incompatible with participating in corruption. Does not explain why he exploited Fujiko Mine for sex. Maybe corruption doesn't count if you don't respect the person you're violating the rights of.

So, overall, have I got a thesis?

Basically, everyone who writes Zenigata has a different take on what his core motivation is. All the stuff that is core to Zenigata is in his affect, in his actions. He's enthusiastic, emotional, hotheaded, stubborn, prone to cackling, smart but not quite smart enough. What he thinks and what he feels, what he does in his private life, remains surprisingly mysterious.

Several of these takes are mutually exclusive. Mamo and Cagliostro simply do not overlap, just like Part 4 and Part 5 are at odds with each other. You can't put Mamo and Cagliostro and Part 1 in a blender without creating some new third thing inaccurate to all three.

For my money, here's what I think the core points would be, if I was starting out to write a fresh series or something:

the Shinto angle; his duty to the family legacy, especially with a famous ancestor like the OG Zenigata, looms large over the current inspector. He has a lot to live up to.

although they met through his job, he's very specifically attached to Lupin in a way that has nothing to do with his job; in fact, his desire to be close to Lupin is at odds with his career

he started out being ambitious and career oriented--this is why he started chasing Lupin, hoping to make a name for himself.

his career has fully stalled out and he's in conflict with himself about the joy his gets from chasing Lupin vs the expectations he set for himself ten years ago

ACAB; if he's actually ethical and cares about civil rights, he's got to be Insanely Unpopular with other cops. The only reason he might be able to get away with this and still have a job is that he's A) an accidental celebrity now with a weird amount of public clout B) he's got insane tunnel vision and doesn't notice major violations of human rights unless they are Directly In his Line of Vision. Nonetheless, this is unsustainable in the long term.

*I'm also a proponent of "Zenigata used to be more ruthless and corrupt, but he's actually picked up ethics somehow from being around criminals all the time" simply because. it is funny.

In conclusion: probably the reason we don't have solid answers to these questions is because Zenigata is like a dog chasing cars. He doesn't know what he'd do with one if he caught it. Nonetheless, he's gotta chase that goddamn fiat.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Reading your post about buggy and shanks. I get a lot but why guy like shanks would care about guy like buggy?

Their interactions in marine ford for me were just nostalgia with using buggy for what he needed. The way he talked about him with white beard also seems just nostalgia vibes. He doesn’t even know if he is a pirate or not.

Shanks seems so much more open to others. He parties with Mihawk. Drinks with Whitebeard. His crew interactions. All of them are much better. More honourable. Have courage.

Let’s be honest, buggy is one of the worst people. He is greedy and selfish af.(( I think it’s good he gets some shit from cross guild) I don’t see any reason other than my childhood was with this guy so I have soft spot but nothing special here.

well, if you don’t like buggy, i can see why you’d have trouble imagining what shanks might see in him.

but one of the worst, really? the guy who lied and stole to get a devil fruit is on the same level as the guy who murdered a decades-long ally for a devil fruit? like, yeah, buggy’s greedy and selfish… he’s a pirate. i know most of our heroes are Good And Noble Pirates, but it’s not strange to see pirates in one piece who have more ordinary motives.

imo buggy’s worst trait is not either greed or selfishness, but his two-facedness. he’s got a very very small number of people he actually feels loyalty towards, and everyone else is one bad situation away from getting metaphorically stabbed in the back. he tells himself it’s their fault for thinking they could trust someone like him—or in the case of his impel down followers, that they admire him so much they’d want to die in his place. sometimes he feels bad about it! (he wouldn’t bother trying to justify his actions to himself otherwise!) but self-preservation is always buggy’s highest priority.

he’s made himself into a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy of untrustworthiness, acting like this… and i find it kind of funny, because buggy takes other people at their word even when they’re obviously manipulating him! a very trusting, very untrustworthy guy. these contradictions are a big part of what i like about buggy as a character.

as for cross guild… i might enjoy the shit buggy gets from them more if it was for anything he did on purpose. like, beat him up for making unilateral one piece-hunting announcements, sure! but he didn’t design that boat. it just feels like punishing him for having followers who buy his hype… who mihawk and crocodile are also taking advantage of, so it’s not like they have any real moral high ground there. they’re just embarrassed to ride on the clown boat.

anyway, you aren’t really asking about buggy’s qualities, you’re asking about shanks’ feelings. and as i’ve mentioned a time or two before, we don’t really have any insight into those in present day! my big shanks/buggy post is about their thoughts and feelings in the past, because those do seem a bit more transparent to me, so i feel more comfortable speaking on them.

but present day shanks…

he says natsukashii when whitebeard brings up buggy, which is usually translated as “nostalgic” or “fondly remembered.” he’s not like buggy, when they parted ways he didn’t linger over any hurt feelings and let them grow bitter. that’s good! that’s healthy behavior! and his knowledge of buggy’s current status is kaze no uwasa de mada kaizoku wo yatteru to kiita, “heard a rumor on the wind [he’s] still being a pirate.” shanks has been on the grand line, in the new world, for years, why would he know anything concrete about a minor east blue pirate? he only learns about luffy’s first east blue bounty because mihawk brings the poster to him; i think we can assume shanks doesn’t have the time to search through newspapers from a distant ocean in the hopes of maybe seeing a one-line reference to an old friend.

i do find it amusing that the verb he uses to describe their separation is also used to mean “break up/divorce” but i’m sure you don’t care about that.

as for being more open with others… it’s not like they reunite under good circumstances. ace and whitebeard have just died, along with who knows how many others; massive bloodshed is only being held off by shanks’ presence and attention. shanks uses buggy to keep his old promise with luffy from being broken because that promise matters to shanks but he cannot afford to put in the time himself, he has to keep the marines from starting shit while they sort through their dead and wounded. it’s not exactly a “let’s get a drink and catch up” moment.

and that’s the only time we’ve seen them interact as adults!

claiming that because shanks wasn’t open with buggy in that moment he would never be open with him in another time and place is an ungenerous interpretation of the character. even if you don’t think the chapter 581 cover is canon, one of the few interests we’ve seen the buggy pirate crew and the red-haired pirate crew have in common is their love for a party. (probably taught to their captains by roger back in the day!) why wouldn’t they hang out and get day drunk if the opportunity presented itself?

and saying “my childhood was with this guy” and “nothing special” in the same sentence cracks me up—it’s not like they were in school together with dozens of other kids! buggy is the only other person who went through that experience. everyone else on the oro jackson was an adult, many of them 20-30 years older than those two. their experience of those events was inherently different. sharing an experience like that with one other person is special, even if that’s all there is between you.

and that’s what your question is ultimately about, right? is that nostalgia for their childhood all that exists between shanks and buggy? i don’t know. i don’t think we’ve seen enough of shanks around buggy in present day—or heard any of shanks’ present day thoughts about buggy—to make a definitive claim one way or another.

sure, on paper buggy seems like the kind of person shanks would look down on at best. but he smiles when buggy chews him out for saying hisashiburi (long time no see/it’s been a while) like he didn’t just lie about having a treasure map for buggy. now, maybe that’s just shanks being amused by a tiny yappy dog who’s no real threat to him. maybe it’s a real, sincere affection for this dumbass who still doesn’t see shanks as a threat. or maybe it’s nostalgia for the dumb fights they used to have as kids, with a hint of disbelief at how little buggy has changed.

even if it is, i don’t think that’s all their relationship has to be. an old fond feeling is a fine place to start from, to build something new—if that’s what they both want.

[lorem-ipsum-2099]

I feel like it’s been long enough now but here are my unsolicited thoughts about Miguel O’Hara: Spider-Man 2099 Issue #1.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Tw: mentions of past abuse

Alright, I’ll get the bad stuff out of the way first.

Are we seriously trying to redeem Conchata?? You know, the same woman who verbally abused Miguel his entire life, the raging narcissist who killed people in order to escape back to Nueva York solely to fake her death in front of her two sons for sympathy???? HOWEVER, that’s not nearly as bad as how ready Miguel is to receive her???? Like huh????

(I know comparing the newest release to the first cancelled volume is not 100% valid BUT in this case it’s for comparing characterization)

And don’t even get me started about Conchata feeling bad about the horrible things she said to Miguel while zombified.

(Which is such a shame since this page is so pretty).

This seems like it’s gonna be a continuing plot line throughout this volume and I feel like it can go either way. Ideally (as awful as this sounds), Conchata responding negatively to Miguel failing to perform his responsibilities as Spider-Man would not only be most in character but would also allow Miguel a moment of growth. Giving an ab*ser a second chance is a noble but often misguided especially if it’s a parent. This could potentially be a moment of deeper commentary but based off Steve Orlando’s previous writing it’s hard to tell what direction the story will be taken.

Another thing that didn’t sit 100% right with me is some of the remaining Zeros to another planet?? (Especially when it’s heavily implied that Southey targeted disenfranchised non-white communities I may be reading too deep into it but still worth mentioning).

Although I will admit I enjoy the idea of the problem not being 100% solved immediately, sending the infected to another planet is kinda ridiculous even by comic book standards.

NOW the good stuff!!

The art direction was absolutely phenomenal! Each page is a piece of art and the colors are to die for!! And the fight scenes??? INCREDIBLE!! Especially Miguel’s one-on-on with The Zombie, their dialogue and action were incredible not to mention the gore level that is being established for this issue.

I also readily enjoyed the references to Carnage and The Hive throughout, makes me excited for their their reappearance. Honestly, the art and fight scenes are what saved this issue.

If I had to give a score I would say about 3.5/5, writing is questionable so far but I’m curious to see where it goes.